Tube launched rocket with detaching spin vanes



March 4, 1969 D.J.TURNER ETAL 3,430,900

TUBE LAUNCHED ROCKET WITH DETACHTNG SPIN VANES Filed June 29, 1967 E CHARLES ACHA 1 MICHAEL 6;,5IGARDINER INVENTORS United States Patent 3,430,900 TUBE LAUNCHED ROCKET WITH DETACHING SPIN VANES Darrell J. Turner, San Jose, and Charles A. Chase, Saratoga, Calif., and Michael C. S. Gardiner, Herts, England, assignors to United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 29, 1967, Ser. No. 649,927 US. Cl. 244-3.23

- 4 Claims Int. Cl. F42!) 15/14, 13/24 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many applications to provide for stability of a projectile, spin stabilization is utilized either alone or in conjunction with aerodynamic stabilization. Spin stabilization of reaction motor powered projectiles has been accomplished by forming curved vanes on the internal surface of the divergent nozzle section which interact with the exhaust gases to spin the projectile. Such fins continue to produce torque throughout the entire burn time of the motor and can overspin the projectile to the point of failure. Also problems have been encountered with uneven ablation or erosion of the vanes by the hot exhaust gases. According to this invention removable spin vanes are provided which cause the projectile to spin to the stabilizing angular velocity after ignition and until departure from the launch tube and these vanes are automatically ejected when the projectile leaves the launch tube.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a spin stabilized tube launched projectile having removable spin vanes.

It is another object of this invention to provide a tube launched projectile with spin vane-s which are removed upon exit from the launching tube.

These and other objects will be readily apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view partly in section of an embodiment of this invention within the launch tube, and

FIGURE 2 is a side view of an embodiment of this invention after launch.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, a tube launched projectile 1 comprising a warhead section 2 motor section 3 and a nozzle section 4 is shown mounted in a launching tube 5. The motor section may comprise any reaction motor such as for example a solid, hybrid or liquid propellant rocket motor as is well known in the art. A plurality of spin vanes 6 are mounted around the nozzle section 4. Each of the vanes has a rearwardly extending portion 7 which is disposed in the path of the exhaust gases and at an angle thereto whereby a higher pressure is produced on one side of the vane. The vanes of FIGURE 1 are shown as being curved, however, the

3,430,900 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 vanes could be fiat and mounted at an angle to the gas stream. Vanes 6 are engaged in grooves 8 (see FIGURE 2) in the nozzle section 4 which permits a rotary motion to be imparted to the projectile 1 when vanes 6 are acted on by the exhaust gases. The outer surface 9 of vane 6 is parallel to and in sliding contact with the internal surface of launch tube 5. The forward portion 10 of the inner surface of vane 6 is in contact with and substantial parallel to the divergent external surface of nozzle 4 and a shoulder 11 is formed on the inner surface between forward portion 10 and the rearward portion 7. When the projectile is in the tube the vanes 6 are locked in place between the launch tube 5 and the divergent portion of nozzle 4 which engages surface 10 of vanes 6 and will cause vanes 6 to move forward with the projectile 1. Preferably surface 9 will extend to a point suificiently for- Ward of shoulder 11 so that vane 6 will not jam in tube 5 by a wedging action between the nozzle 4 and surface 10. In some cases it may be desirable to provide a protuberance 12 on surface 10 which engages recess 13 on nozzle 4 to transmit forward longitudinal motion to vane 6 and eliminate any wedging effect.

As can be seen in FIGURE 2 when the spinning projectile leaves the launch tube, the restraining efiect of the tube 5 is removed and the vanes are ejected by the action of centrifugal force.

We claim:

1. In a tube launched projectile system comprising a launching tube and a reaction motor powered projectile within said launching tube, the improvement which comprises:

(a) vane engaging means on said projectile for releasably engaging each of a plurality of individual spin vanes, said means being adapted to transmit torque and longitudinal force between said projectile and said vanes; and

(b) a plurality of individual spin vanes in releasable engagement with said vane engaging means and in sliding contact with the interior of said launch tube, each of said vanes having a portion thereof disposed in the path of and at an angle to the exhaust gas stream of said reaction motor; each of said vanes being maintained in position by the interaction of each vane with the vane engaging means and the interior of said launch tube; whereby upon ignition of said reaction motor the exhaust gases produced will impinge upon said spin vanes, causing said projectile to spin and said Vanes will be carried with said projectile through said launch tube and be disengaged from said projectile when the restraining action of said launch tube is removed upon the exit of the projectile therefrom.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said vane engaging means comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending recesses on said projectile, each said recess having received therein a portion of one of said spin vanes.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said projectile is provided with a nozzle section having a divergent exterior surface and said recesses are in said divergent exterior surface.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each said vane is provided with a first surface in sliding contact with the interior of said launch tube and a second surface within and parallel to the base of the recess associated therewith,

the aft extremity of said second surface being located aft of the forward extremity of said first surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Teric 2443.23 X Kindelberger 891.808 Pion 89-1808 Sutton et a1. 2443.23 

